I received a message from a woman who was concerned about the placement of her nipple piercing:

Hi,

I had my nipple pierced a few days ago and it seems to me that the piercing is wrongly situated. It goes through my areolas, and not my nipple. I'm wondering how dangerous this is because I like it. I'm sending you a picture.

My Reply:

Hello,

I'm sorry to say this but I considered asking if your piercer was blind. I've never seen a more poorly placed nipple piercing on anatomy that is so perfectly suited.

You really should go and ask for your money back and remove the jewelry. That is not where your nipple should be pierced. And the bar is dangerously short.

I marked with arrows where it should have been placed at the base of your nipple.

This is an excerpt about proper nipple piercing placement from my book, The Piercing Bible--The Definitive Guide to Safe Body Piercing: (I put in bold the relevant part for you.)

Nipple Piercing: Placement and Choice of Jewelry

Virtually all adults’ nipples—even tiny flat ones—are pierceable if they are pliable. Whether you prefer the angle of your piercing to be horizontal, vertical, or somewhere in between, it will work best if it is placed in the natural creases of your tissue. Depending on the shape of your chest, the “horizontal” placement may be more visually appealing if the outer side is placed just slightly higher than the inner side. This will barely tilt the ring up at a slant that frames the area nicely. A true horizontal placement can look a little droopy at the outer edge, depending on the angle and shape of the breasts or pectoral muscles.

If you have well-developed nipples, the piercing should be placed in the creases at the base of the nipple where it rises from the areola. If your nipple is defined with substantial height, the piercing can safely go in as little as 5/16 inch of tissue. If you have flat nipples, the piercing should encompass a minimum of 3/8 inch of tissue when the area is relaxed.